At the Crossroads ‒ Natural heritage

In Dravograd the colourful geographical centre of Koroška, in the diverse landscape, we find a junction of three mountain chains and rivers that have given names to three valleys of Koroška, the Dravska, Mislinjska and Mežiška valley all named after their rivers. On the left bank of the river Drava the sunny hillsides raise to the top of Kozjak, Košenjak which is with its 1522 metres above sea-level the highest top in the community of Dravograd. On the other side the Northwest edges of the mountain chain Pohorje flow together in the embrace of the rivers Mislinja and Meža. Meža which flows from its narrow valley together with the river Drava completes the east part of the Karavanke Mountains from the hillsides of Strojna to Dobrova where we find the famous initial deposit of the mineral dravit, named after the river Drava which is incredibly rare worldwide. The ancient roots of the land rest in its geological structure, consisting of the oldest bedrocks in Slovenia. Drava has shaped the characteristics of the land with its river-bed and its deposits throughout the ages and enabled life on the river terraces which turned into fields and settlements after people started inhabiting the land. The particularities are also determined by the climatic effects of the Alpine and Pannonia land of Slovenia as it is intertwined exactly in this location.Over the green hillsides which open views to the narrowness of the valleys in winding rivers rich with life on both sides and extending life on its banks and slopes one can truly feel the natural jewels of Dravograd and feel the countless possibilities for exploring its untouched beauties.

Information: In Dravograd we can find many natural values of national or local meaning as well as ecologically important areas which need to be preserved and protected as a whole: the lake of Dravograd and the river banks of Drava, which are categorized under the system of the European network Natura 2000, Pohorje with its forest nature reserve in Bukovje, the entire area of Košenjak and the highest areas of Strojna.

Among the 57 recognized natural treasures we can find an astonishing 33 mighty trees that have been ranked as natural monuments due to their astounding dimensions. The ancient symbols of life are proudly growing next to farmhouses or at crossroads. In the village Vič we can find the magnificent lime tress of Pajenk, growing next to one another and the settlement of Robindvor is home to one of the most magnificent oak trees in Koroška with the perimeter of over 4 metres and the height of 28 metres.

The mightiest of all lime trees is located at the church of St. Urban (Sveti Urban) right on the border with Austria. Another beautiful specimen can be found among the spruce trees in Otova above Vrata, as it has 515 cm in perimeter. Next to the castle of Črneče grows the largest ash tree in all of the country. It is 21 metres tall and it has a whopping 520 cm in parameter. Life has always been present in this area and fossil finds of the ice age ibex in Trbonje and the mammoth remains in Otiški Vrh are evidence that the land was home to many creatures long before our time.

A very special geological natural treasure of global value is the mineral dravit named after the river Drava. Its primary deposit area was discovered on Dobrova in 1884 right at the junction of Dravograd's hills, rivers and valleys.